Question: Are gabapentin or pregabalin effective medications for post-polio neurological damage, the type of damage that leads to leg and hand muscle cramps? Answer: Gabapentin and pregabalin are only approved for control of seizures and fibromyalgia (in the case of pregabalin). There are no studies supporting their effective-ness for leg cramps in post-polio survivors or others. Gabapentin is the most …
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Does PPS Cause Muscle Atrophy Later in Life or is Atrophy Caused by the Initial Polio?
Question: Does PPS cause muscle loss later in life or is atrophy caused by the initial polio attack? Dr. Maynard: Initial polio infection damage to nerves may result in a muscle’s atrophy (smaller or shrunken size) if a sufficiently large percent of nerves to an individual muscle died off. However, further dying off of damaged but not dead nerve cells …
Acupuncture Therapy for Polio Survivors
Question: I am a 77-year-old woman who had polio at the age of nine. I lost the use of my legs, but, with intensive physical therapy, I made a decent recovery enabling me to lead a pretty normal life—minus things like skiing, running, etc. I just had an evaluation at Rancho Los Amigos in California and the recommendation is that …
Any Gains in Muscle Strength when Using an FES (Functional Electric Stimulation) Bike?
Question: I contracted polio at 10 months old in 1953 and it affected my left leg (knee down) and right foot. It’s been recommended to me recently to try using an FES Bike with the goal of strengthening my upper leg muscles. Has anyone experienced a gain in muscle strength after using such a machine? I am luckily blessed with …
How Should I Manage Lymphedema in my Polio Leg?
Question: After several weeks when my polio-affected right leg began to swell, beginning at the foot and now up into the knee, a vascular physician diagnosed the condition as lymphedema and referred me to physical therapy. The swelling decreases only slightly after sleeping all night, even with my legs elevated. My ability to exercise (walk) is not practical having great …
How Do You Feel About the Pain Patch Duragesic?
Question: I am now 76, had polio when I was 4. Since post-polio syndrome (PPS) hit me, I needed a leg brace and walk with two canes. I can never remember a day without pain, but now it seems to have spread all over my body, not just my legs. My question is: How do you feel about the pain …
Understanding the Approach of a New Primary Care Doctor
Question: My physician retired, and my new primary care doctor is “reevaluating” everything. I am nervous because he is questioning my medications, and I am not sure he understands my history. Can you help me understand his approach and offer assuring advice as he and I get to know each other? I am especially concerned about my new doctor’s making …
Do “Cures” for PPS Have Any Beneficial Ingredients that May Help Us?
Question: I have seen advertisements for products that claim to “cure” PPS. From all I know, there is no cure. Do these products have any beneficial ingredients that may help us? Answer: One must always be skeptical of anything advertised as a “cure” for PPS, because it is a condition that almost certainly has many causes. Most advertised products are …
Can I Regain Some Muscle Mass and Strength Through Exercise?
Question: I read with great interest the question and answer about knees collapsing in the in the Vol. 26, No. 2 (www.post-polio.org/ edu/pphnews/pph26-2sp10p7.pdf). I had polio at age 1. I’m told that I made a full recovery and that our local doctor used me as an example of a “miraculous” recovery. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, I am …
Is Post-Polio Syndrome Life-Threatening, Will the Effects Intensify, and Does it Affect the Brain’s Ability to Function in Speech, Sight, and Thought Processes?
Question: Often we polio survivors have very few options that are helpful in understanding our circumstances and what direction to take. Thank you for being available to provide this important service. Here is my question in three parts. When I read The Polio Paradox by Richard L. Bruno, PhD, he assured us that post-polio syndrome (PPS) is not life threatening. …
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